


Simple Gestures

by thepizzasitter



Series: Strut Verse [2]
Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Iron Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Incredible Hulk - All Media Types, Thor - All Media Types
Genre: A series of related oneshots, Bruce Banner Has Issues, Bruce Feels, M/M, Saving the World, Science Boyfriends, Strut Verse, Supportive Avengers, Tony Feels, Tony Has Issues, and yet somehow they make it work, little things to show you care, the story of two dorks falling in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-11
Updated: 2013-11-11
Packaged: 2018-01-01 04:07:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1040157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thepizzasitter/pseuds/thepizzasitter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"It was always the simple gestures that held the greatest significance. Bruce had never been one for the big, or loud, or grand. The first two usually made him Hulk Out, and the third made him blush and fidget and stammer." In which Tony messes up a little, and so does Bruce, and they work out a balance between them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Simple Gestures

It was always the simple gestures that held the greatest significance.

Bruce had never been one for the big, or loud, or grand. The first two usually made him Hulk Out, and the third made him blush and fidget and stammer. Doing any of those things just made the press that much more interested in his and Tony's relationship. Since the club a month ago, he had come to realize just how obvious he'd probably been, despite his efforts to keep his feelings a secret. And also that people hadn't been 'too busy to give a fuck' as Tony had said.

The first time Tony took him out to a ' _real_ dinner, Bruce. Not shawarma, or Denny's, or a thai place," he'd known the evening was not going to go well.

He had tried to explain that the reason he insisted on going to the simple kinds of places were one, because people didn't recognize him there, and he wouldn't ruin Tony's reputation, and two, because he _liked_ those places. Mostly because of the first reason, but food had always been food to him. He didn't need a fifty dollar steak or a bottle of fine champagne. Tony was so much more than he ever could have hoped for, flaws and all, so he never noticed what he was eating anyways. Tony had laughed and called him 'too fuckin' adorable', and ignored his pleas altogether.

He'd worn a suit that made him feel like he was suffocating, and sat amongst people that he would swear were staring at him and Tony and whispering, and eaten some sort of meat that didn't cost fifty dollars, but three _hundred_ , and drank the smooth champagne that didn't want to go down because he was exceedingly nervous and _ohgod_ people _were_ staring.

The paparazzi descended like hounds. Only, most hounds would have eaten his steak and left him alone. These hounds wanted _fresh_ kill.

"Mr. Stark, what is the nature of your and Dr. Banner's relationship?"

"Mr. Stark, are you aware that Dr. Banner has a destructive alter-ego?"

"Mr. Stark, is it wise to bring an unstable creature into a dining environ—"

"Can you describe the events of club _Paradise_ —"

"What is—"

Bruce snapped. Luckily it wasn't in the way anyone (or himself) expected. He barely had a hold on the Other Guy, who roared furiously in his head, but he still had a grip. He stood, knocking over his chair in the process, and gave Tony a desperate look, begging forgiveness, before he ran. He could feel the eyes on the back of his head and he squeezed his eyes shut, almost knocking over a waiter. Stammering an apology, he looked back once, seeing Tony's absolutely _horrified_ face, mirrored by the reporters, and fled the room.

He ran, heart pounding and his ears ringing, all the way back to Stark Tower, though it was twelve blocks away, and immediately stumbled to the Green Room, where he finally let go and shredded everything in the room within seconds. He was in there for two hours before he came back to himself.

When he had shrunk down, his foggy mind came back to him, and he glanced around to take in the destruction—his latest failure—before his eyes widened in terror. Tony lay on the ground nearby, in his Iron Man suit that was worse for wear, looking at him. "Oh god," Bruce sobbed, crawling over to Tony, for once not caring about his nakedness, and pressed his forehead to Tony's arc reactor, weeping uncontrollably and apologizing over and over again.

"Bruce, stop."

"I'm so sorry," he said again, like a mantra, pleading with his lover to _please, forgive me, I don't_ want _you to, but I_ need _you to, why are you such an_ idiot _?_

"Stop," Tony said. He had to say it at least four more times before Bruce calmed enough to listen. "Bruce, look at me." He turned the other's face to him when Bruce tried to keep his eyes downcast. "This one was _all_ on me. Got it? _All_ of it. If I wasn't so goddamn stupid, I wouldn't have done that to you."

"N-No, it was—"

"Bruce, shut _up_! It is my fault, and don't say it's not. You told me you weren't comfortable with all that fancy shit and I…" he sighed, rubbing his hand over his eyes wearily before continuing. "Bruce, I just…I wanted to prove how much I care, okay? Since the club…well, just kind of jumping you probably wasn't the best thing to do. I didn't—I guess I just thought you were being stubborn or modest or something. Just proves what a lousy partner I am that I didn't listen to you." He laughed self-deprecatingly. Bruce tried to say something, but he was silenced when Tony leaned up to kiss him softly. When he pulled back, Tony smiled and traced the tired shadows under Bruce's eyes. "Not done apologizing yet. I'm really sorry, Bruce. I promise I'm not hurt; I've pretty much Hulk-proofed my suit by now. And if you're not too pissed at me, I'd really like to try again."

"Tony—"

"No, no, not the fancy-schmancy shit. I just meant the listening. Which…now that I think about it, I'm screwing up again aren't I, by not letting you talk?" He frowned at himself, which made Bruce dissolve into helpless laughter. They kissed, again and again, their tongues dancing and their laughter making it difficult to keep their mouths together.

"All I was going to say to that was that the 'jumping' me wouldn't have worked if I hadn't let it. And I know you meant well with the dinner." He grinned, feeling much more at ease with Tony here. "The Other Guy just doesn't have table manners like I do. It's like that saying, 'This is why we can't have nice things'." He laughed; the sound rumbling in his chest. Tony waggled his eyebrows and gestured to the door.

"I think we can have _very_ nice things."

Eventually they made their way out of the Green Room, Tony's suit removed as they walked, and into the bedroom. No one could say that Tony didn't listen when it came to his lover's sounds of rapture.

xXx

Tony viewed simplicity as a foreign language.

That much was clear in the way he dressed, or lived, or dined, or spoke and gestured. But, Tony was also ankles over arse in love with Bruce Banner who _breathed_ simplicity. At least, in most ways. Emotionally and mentally, he was about as simple as a woman menstruating. Which is to say, not simple at all. That was probably a bad comparison, since Bruce didn't cry often, or eat vast amounts of chocolate, or watch chick-flicks, or bleed out of—

Yeah, that was probably a bad comparison.

But, the idea was the same. Bruce Banner wasn't simple, but he _lived_ simply. It was something Tony wanted to learn, and he was trying his best. So they ate at easy-going restaurants—although Bruce was an awesome cook—because half the time they were so tired from being in the lab all day, or debating a theory, or fighting crime, or having sex, that they didn't care what they ate anyways. _Making love_ his mind whispered to him. _It's not just sex, not what you do with him._ He grinned, his eyes straying to his lover's back, turned to him as he changed levels of acidity in his experiment, and he nodded to himself. _It's kind of a nice change_ , he mused, _not having to go all out all the time to prove myself._ Not that he didn't still try. He'd done some pretty elaborate gestures, only within the context of them or close friends, and they were all well-received— _very_ well-received—by Bruce. But, for reasons Tony didn't really fathom, things like just reading in silence together with their hands intertwined, or Tony kissing him in front of the team, or notes left on the counter letting Bruce know he'd be back in a bit, or giving him a shoulder rub when he got tense, seemed to draw Bruce further and further out of his shell than the grander things did.

He didn't _understand_ why Bruce loved those things so much. So he did what Tony did best and brought it up awkwardly.

"Hey, I have a question."

Bruce startled for a moment, drawn out of his concentration, before turning to face Tony. He waited for Tony's question—usually he just asked, instead of preluding it, so it must be serious—but the silence continued. "And the question is…?" he prompted, a bit unnerved by Tony's fidgeting. Tony was always in motion, but every movement had purpose. Fidgeting was a sure sign of either nervousness or an imminent apology. Bruce couldn't think of anything Tony had done to warrant the latter, so it must be the first.

"Have you ever thought we'd be better off as just friends?"

Bruce's felt his heart stop.

"'Cause I mean, it would probably easier and stuff, right?"

_No, no, no! It would not be easier, it would be Hell, why are you asking me that?_ Bruce thought frantically, trying to calm the pounding of his heart and the unpleasant sensation of his stomach lurching. "I—no, I haven't. It's never really crossed my mind. Have…do you think we'd be better as friends?"

Tony's eyes went wide and he immediately shook his head. "No!" he said a little too loudly. "No, fuck no! I just—" he suddenly laughed, confusing Bruce who was trying not to faint from relief. "I am _really_ bad at these kinds of conversations. Did you think I was going to break up with you?"

Bruce looked down at his hands, blushing and nodded minutely. It wasn't an entirely implausible thought. Tony was a free spirit, and despite their words the morning after they became a couple, he hadn't really believed them until recently. But Tony had shown him again and again how much he loved him. It was…it was amazing to him just how much Tony cared. His fears had calmed and he found himself doing things he never thought he would. He smiled to himself. _Like strutting._ Tony was drawing out the life in Bruce he hadn't thought he deserved, and _god_ he loved him for it.

"Heh, sorry. That…wasn't what I was going for at all. What I was trying to ask was 'Why do you stick around?'"

Bruce's head shot up at that. Why did he _stick around_? _What the hell?_ "Uh…Tony, not to sound like an idiot, but can you explain that question?"

Sighing and running a hand through his hair agitatedly, Tony said, "Well, just…I mean, it's not like I'm bringing much to the table, 'cause you don't really like the expensive dinners and going out on the town and stuff. I don't really see the appeal." He shrugged.

_Ah, I see._

Tony had never really had someone who didn't want the money or the fame that came with the Stark name. It confused him that someone could genuinely want Tony the _person_ , not Tony Stark the genius-billionaire-playboy-philanthropist. Bruce's lack of interest in those things was making Tony think Bruce would get bored quickly. He almost snorted. _As if._

"Now who's tip-toing?" he asked teasingly.

"Wha—?"

"Tony," he said softly as he stood up and walked over to his lover. "I know it's a hard concept for you to grasp, but I'm kind of crazy about you. I think I've made that pretty clear, though if I haven't, I can translate into Tony if you want. I'm guessing that you've been hung up on wondering why I like simplicity over the extravagant?" He laughed when Tony looked away and muttered 'mind reader'.

"That's a really easy one to explain. See this?" He pointed to the arc reactor glowing under Tony's shirt. "The energy in this is like my love for you. It's self-sustaining, and it glows. Like when we're reading together. It's been really peaceful to have someone to sit with. I've been away from people for so long that I sort of forgot what it was like to have another person in the room, just sitting. Oh, or when you started kissing me in front of the others. I was…I was awed that you weren't embarrassed to be with me. It—it became real to me then. That you really did love me." He smiled gently, leaning to kiss a gaping Tony. "And those notes on the counter remind me of that. That you aren't going to just up and leave without making sure I've packed and am coming with you." He suddenly groaned, chuckling and shaking his head. "And I don't think anyone can give as good a backrub as you. Your hands…" he fluttered his fingers and grinned. "Are magic. But you already knew that. You're more than the sum of your parts, Tony. To me, you could be millions of dollars in debt, not have a single piece of lab equipment to your name, and be as clueless as Thor and I'd still love you more than Carbon loves Oxygen."

He leaned up to kiss Tony, and the taller man grabbed his shoulders, pushing him back against the side of the lab table. _What have I done to deserve him?_ Tony wondered, before deciding he didn't need to worry. Just needed to accept that the scientist loved him for him. The experiment Bruce had been working on was long forgotten. Their tongues glided and they both moaned when their bodies pressed together. Bruce broke away with a gasp. "And have I mentioned that the sex is really, really good?" Tony growled at the sultry tone in the doctor's voice that would have been so out of character a couple months ago. He smirked. _I must be a good influence._ Bruce proved that when he hopped onto the table and let Tony move to stand between his legs _. Oh fuck yeah, lab sex!_ Tony's brain crowed happily. But he had something to say first. He leaned back from Bruce's delicious, tempting mouth to lean his forehead against Bruce's. "Thank you. You're incredible, you know that?"

Bruce hummed and ran his hand through Tony's hair. "I'd have to be, if _you're_ with me," he said simply.

This time, when Steve walked by to ask about some piece of technology or another, there was no way he _couldn't_ hear what was going on. He decided he could blame Tony's corrupting schemes when he stopped, turned back around, and walked out without so much as a blush.


End file.
